An Eye for an Eye
by UWontKnoXD
Summary: {AU} {After TLO} {Percy/You Tell Me!} Percy Jackson is the Hero of Olympus, but in the process of saving it, Thalia loses her sight, and Annabeth dies. Thus Percy asks the goddess Nemesis to give his own sight for Thalia's blindness. How will he cope with the sudden changes in his life? Will he give in to the pain? What will happen when the Romans enter the story? Warnings inside!
1. Chapter 1

**Yeah. I'm trying a new story.**

**WARNINGS:**

**Crying.**

**Abuse.**

**Mean Disability Jokes.**

**Crying.**

**See? It's rated T for a reason!**

**NOTHING TO ELSE TO SAY, LET'S GO STRAIGHT IN!**

* * *

My arms ache. Sweat is getting in my eyes, and the metallic taste of blood lies on my tongue. My knuckles are white from gripping my sword. A heavy breeze blows past me, through the holes in the ruins of what once was mighty throne room.

Kronos laughs at my pain, his laugh deep and harsh. "Little Hero, you put up a good fight. Now drop your weapon, and give up! There is nothing you can do! Olympus has fallen, and your little girlfriend is dead!"

I freeze in fright. I look over to my right, where Annabeth had fallen. She is still there, leaning up against the rubble of Olympus. Even I can see that she is breathing, though she is in pain. The wound on her head bleeds thoroughly.

That mistake that cost me her life.

The second I look, a flash of metal is caught by my peripheral vision. I can feel the wind from it, I can hear it whistle it's deadly song. Kronos's sword, Backbiter, flies out of his hands and imbeds itself into my best friend.

A black, spotted frame edges my vision. Everything becomes muted, and I can only hear the beating of my heart.

_Boom-boom_. I twirl my sword in my hands and sprint at the Titan.

_Boom-boom_. Kronos raises his hand and his sword flies back to his hands.

_Boom-boom_. I raise my sword. Kronos holds Backbiter in front of him.

_Boom-boom_. I run onto the Titan's blade.

The cold, smooth sword passes cleanly through my body, but before I can register that it hurts, I thrust my hands forward in my final attack.

Kronos gasps in shock. He looks down slowly, seeing Anuklusmos buried up to the hilt in his chest.

"Cold." He whispers in Luke's voice. "It's cold…" His eyes turn from gold to back to blue, the eyes that comforted on my first day to Camp Half-Blood.

"Percy, I'm sorry, he promised me so many things, I'm so sorry…" He says fearfully.

"It's okay, Luke." I say back, as we both fall to our knees. "You fought him, and in the end, you did good."

Luke's eyes begin to close. "Only…wish…apologize…"

I grip his forearm. "Luke, Annabeth loved you like a brother, and she never stopped believing in you."

A happy smile forms on his face.

"Brother…brother…" He falls backward, my blade swishing out of his chest, and his blade passing cleanly out of mine.

I gasp in shock when Backbiter comes out. My vision almost fades to black, but I steel my nerves and crawl to Annabeth.

Annabeth has a tear on her face. "He never stopped fighting…." She whispers to herself.

Percy smiles weakly and touches her hand. She looks next to him and smiles weakly back. "At least I won't pass into this alone." I intertwine my fingers through hers.

Annabeth starts to cry. "Percy, I'm so scared, what if we don't make it to Elysium, what if-"

I squeeze her hand. "Hey," I say. "I'm the one who should be crying. Those old hags hate me."

She laughs, wincing in pain when her gut convulses.

We close our eyes, ready for the abyss.

Then I hear a grunt coming from the middle of the throne room. An arm sticks out of the massive hole that Ethan had dropped though. The son of Nemesis works his way out, and sighs when he make it all the way.

"Hey, man." I say. "Welcome to the party."

He looks in shock at the body of Kronos, which had begun to dissolve into a golden light, and then looks at me, and my bloodied torso.

With sudden determination coming over his features, he falls to his knees and cries, "Mother! I forfeit my life for the life of Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon!"

I realize what is happening.

"No!" I cry, but it hurts my stomach, and it comes out in a mangled scream. "Save Annabeth! Save her instead of me!"

But it's too late. Ethan convulses and falls, purple light consuming him.

I black out.

* * *

When I regain consciousness, I am in a hospital bed. A breeze floats lazily around me, and I catch the scent of bacon.

I try to get up, but it's in vain. A large, gentle hand forces me back down.

"Ethan...he-"

The God of Prophecy puts a finger to his lips. "It's alright, little dude. Now just lay down until I can find more ambrosia."

Annabeth was dead. A cold hand gripped my heart. My crush was dead. My best friend was dead.

As he leaves and the sound of cupboards being rummaged through reaches my ears, he says, "Nemesis told us what happened. Ethan will go straight to Elysium, since he saved you."

I groan, fighting back tears. Annabeth was gone.

Apollo returns with a plateful of bacon and a cup of water.

"How's Thalia? And Nico?" I ask hoarsely, sipping from the cup. At least I still had my cousins.

"Nico's...ah...Nico's fine." He says evasively. I knew Apollo didn't lie, but that meant...

"Apollo, where's Thalia?"

There's a sigh from near my bed. Apollo says, "Ah...you can visit her later. She's in Zeus's temple. You'll see. I don't really want a little tidal wave ruining my stuff."

I jump up at once, rolling off the bed and popping back up.

"Hey!" Apollo calls after me. "Just wait while I-" His voice fades off into the distance as I run along the path.

Olympus is beautiful, as it was before. Temples all along a huge hill, with grass, trees, and flowers. Only...there's an air of grimness to it. As though it's still recuperating after the battle.

I reach Zeus's temple out of breath and pain in my stomach.

I burst through the entrance and see Thalia, lying on a bed, bandages around her eyes.

I run up and grab her hand. She responds to the touch.

"Percy?" She murmurs. I smile.

"Sup." I say.

Thalia cracks a grin. "You killed a Titan Lord, I go blind, you get stabbed in the gut, and you say 'sup'?" She sighs.

I tentatively ask, "How did it happen?"

She sighs again. "Blasted greek fire. There was an explosion in one of the cannons and..."

I squeeze her hand.

"But I'll be okay! I mean there've probably been a bunch of blind demigods! I'll still fight..."

I wince. I doubt that Thalia will ever fight again.

I hug her.

"I'm just glad you're okay." I murmur.

"Me, too." She says.

A school bell rings in the distance. On a loudspeaker, Zeus's booming voice says, "All Gods and Demigods to the throne room for Council."

I help Thalia up and lead her up the path to the massive, looming mountain in the distance.

When we get to the summit of Mt. Olympus, we can't hear anything beyond the door. I breathe deeply.

"You ready?" I ask.

"Yeah." She responds.

We step into the throne room.

Zeus is, of course, in the middle of the long line of gods and goddesses. The power radiating off of them washed over us, making me feel nauseated.

Everyone is staring at me and Thalia.

"Eh...looks like you fixed the ceiling..." I say slowly, glancing up at the open sky.

The gods look up, and then remember that there's no ceiling.

Apollo and Hermes chuckle as we sit down next to the other demigods, which happens to be Clarisse.

"Sup, runt." She grumbles to me.

"Sup, boar-face." I respond.

We both crack grins at how immature our arguments are.

"Gods and goddesses," Zeus begins. "These demigods have saved Olympus from Kronos."

I wasn't surprised at how blunt Zeus. He probably didn't like to praise others...

Clarisse jabs me with her elbow.

"Prissy. Stop. Grinning. Like. A. Retard."

My smirk immediately drops.

"So, obviously, they must be rewarded." Zeus continues, wincing when he says 'rewarded'.

"Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, come forward." Zeus states.

Clarisse gets up and walks shakily to the middle of the room.

"For your services, you are granted another spear and set of armor. The armor was made by Hephaestus, and it is almost unbreakable."

Clarisse's mouth is slightly open as she kneels and is presented with the armor.

She walks back to Thalia and I.

"Close your mouth, you'll catch flies."

Clarisse's mouth snaps shut. "Shut up."

"Thalia Grace." Zeus's demeanor changes. His expression warms. "Daughter of Yours Truly."

Poseidon snorts and Hades covers a snicker.

I get up with her and lead her to the middle of the room, handling her with gentle hands, very careful to be modest. I can feel Artemis staring at me, and I don't want her to shoot me in the balls.

"Thalia, you have fought well for Olympus, but what comes with reward must also come in bad news." Zeus says sadly.

Artemis stands. "Thalia, I hereby release you from the Hunt, due to recent events."

Thalia's mouth comes open, and then shuts closed.

Artemis looks as though she is about to cry. "Thalia, I'm sorry, but your-"

"I understand." Thalia says lowly, almost in a growl. "You don't want a disabled little girl in your hunt."

Artemis is on the verge of tears, but Zeus puts up a hand.

"We can't restore your eyes, but we will bless you with fighting abilities that may help."

Ares reluctantly steps forward and touches Thalia's forehead. A red light glows around her.

"Thanks." She says bluntly, walking away and sitting next to me.

"Thals, are you-"

"I'm fine." She says hoarsely. I can tell she is about to break, and I form an idea in my head.

"Perseus Jackson, come forward."

I walk forward, my knees shaking slightly.

"For your services, we grant you godhood." Zeus says, clearly disliking the idea.

I stare at him. "What?"

Zeus sighs. "Yes, foolish mortal, we know what you want. You'll be able to be a god, be with your father, blah blah blah."

I stare at the ground, hard. Then I look up.

"I respectfully decline, My Lord." I say determinedly.

Gasps around the room. "You're turning down our generous gift?" Zeus almost roared.

"But I want something else. Swear on the Styx that you'll grant my request. " I say.

Zeus glares at me. "You don't trust us?"

I sigh. "Someone once told me," I say, staring at Hades, "to always get a solemn oath."

Hades shrugs. "Guilty."

"Fine!" Zeus roars. "We will grant your wishes, as long as it is in our power, and it is reasonable."

"Eh..let's start from the bottom. Can I have all the minor gods come here."

Zeus eyes me suspiciously. "Okay..."

All the minor gods flash into the room. They stand awkwardly behind me.

"All right first off, I'd just like to commend you one your great ability to ignore your children. Well, news flash: that almost destroyed you. If those demigods had at least been claimed, this war wouldn't have started."

Ares goes to say something, but I'm on a roll.

"No more unclaimed children." I insist.

"Secondly, I'd like all the minor gods to have a throne here, on Olympus. That includes Hestia." I say with a smile directed to the heart. The nine year old girl grins broadly back at me.

Zeus grunts. He waves his hand, and a bunch of other thrones rise up out of the ground.

"I'd also like the Hades and minor Gods to have cabins at Camp Half-Blood, which would insure that we all stay united." I add.

"And lastly..." I hesitate. Poseidon stares at me with worry.

"Well, it's not really a wish to you guys. Nemesis, I have a favor to ask of you." I say.

Nemesis steps forward. "Yes?" She asks.

I stare her in the eye and take a deep breath. "In exchange for Thalia's sight to be restored, I forfeit my own."

Thalia freezes. "No! Don't, Percy!" She cries. "Don't do that for me!"

My resolve is iron. "Please Nemesis." I plead.

Nemesis eyes me.

"Perseus Jackson, you intrigue me." Nemesis mused. "And your wish shall be granted."

Everything goes dark, and I collapse. As I lose consciousness, I can hear poeple rushing forward, and the last thing I say before I pass out is,

"Sorry, Thals."

* * *

**Well, that was a hilariously long chapter.**

**Did you guys like it? It's idea was taken from ****_gingers rock _****and his story,****_ "Disabilities Can Change Things"_**

**I plan to put in a lot of sympathy, pity, and anger in this story. So basically like all my other ones.**

**Please tell who you want Percy to be paired with, too!**

**Peace out,**

**~UWontKnoXD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the feedback, guys!**

**Nothing to say, so let's go into the story!**

* * *

For the first couple days or so, my blindess was pitiful. I was shut up in Apollo's temple the whole time, and no one got to see me.

Not that I'd be able to see them, anyway.

I was there, shut up in my own dark world. Imagine yourself in your bedroom, it's pitch-black, and all your blankets have fallen off the bed. You're just laying there, helpless, just waiting for something to jump out and scare the crap out of you.

That's what it felt like.

But in the darkness, as I was reflecting on how this would effect my life, Apollo presented me with a sanctuary.

Music.

Yes, it's ironic that Apollo gave me the idea, but it helps. When people say that when you're blind, your hearing, smelling, and taste is enhanced, they aren't kidding. I didn't notice it until I heard Apollo walking in the temple, humming, 'Holy Grail', by Justin Timberlake. I could hear it loud and clear.

When he came up next to me, I asked him if he was a fan of Justin Timberlake.

He looked at me confused, and asked me what I was talking about. I told him I heard him humming one of his songs while he was coming in.

He replied in surprise, "Percy, I was humming that way before I walked in. Did you actually hear me?"

I nodded. That's when I could start hearing the smaller things, like the slightest flap of a butterfly's wings, or the gentle chatter of the naiads.

After several more days of being bored, I asked Apollo what I could do until I could leave.

Without hesitation, he presented me some Beats headphones. He told me to put them on. When I did so, there was a sharp pain in the base of my skull. In my blindness, a flare of red flashed in my vision. That's another weird thing about blindess; when I experience a certain feeling, color kind of flares up in my minds eye.

"What was that?" I grumble, pulling one half of the headphones off.

Apollo sounds as though he was grinning widely as he said, "The headphones just connected to you're brain. Now, just think what kind of song you want to listen to, and bam, it's there."

I hesitate. "Can I...take them off without it ripping out my brains?" I ask.

Apollo laughs, and then falters. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure..."

They come off normally, much to my relief.

"Now get some sleep, Perce." Apollo says. "You get to leave tomorrow." I can hear him turn to leave.

Just before he does, he adds, "And Percy...about how you gave up your sight for Thalia...that was a really noble thing to do."

I smile a little. "Well, she'd do it for me."

When he leaves, I experiment with a bunch of different music. I find that dubstep, trap and bass, and rap are actually my favorite. Something about the deep bass in the background, or when the beat drops, just fills my dark world with faint light.

**2 Days Later**

"Frick." I growl, stubbing my toe once again on a table. Apollo is doing his best not to laugh.

Since my eyes are still swollen, I've got a white gauze around my eyes and head, with my Headphones around my neck. Not that I care much about what I look like, especially now that I can't see myself, but I tried a new look today. I'm wearing straight black jeans with my orange Half-Blood shirt, but this one is tighter, more like under-amor, which will probably help me not get caught on things as I pass by. Riptide is still faithfully sitting in my pocket.

"Apollo, you're supposed to be helping me." I growl.

"It's alright, Thalia's going to help you along. She'll be here soon."

As Apollo leads me to the elevator doors, I keep thinking about how I can navigate myself without my sight. I toss around the idea of having a dog to help, but realize that dogs hate me, and Mrs. O'Leary is a couple sizes to big. Maybe if I could sense the water molecules in the air, I could-

"Percy!" I voice cries. Someone tackles me with a bear hug, and I stumble backward. I can tell it's Thalia.

"Thals," I gasp. "Can you not do that, you scared the crap outta me."

Thalia gasps. "Oh my gods! Did I hurt you? Where?"

I sigh. "I'm fine. Just dot tackle me like that. I can't see I coming."

"Sorry." Thalia says sheepishly.

"Anyway, how are we getting to Camp?" I ask.

Thalia goes silent for a moment, and I can tell that her expression turned grim.

"That's the thing you won't like." Thalis says. "We're going to travel with the Hunters. They decided not to kick me out."

She leads me to the elevator as I groan.

"This is going to be fun..." I sigh.

"Suck it up. It's not the end of the world." She replies. The elevator begins to drop.

"I just don't want my balls to get cut off." I say. She laughs.

The second we stepped off the elevator, I felt the presence of the goddess. What surprised was that I could tell where she stood. In my blindness, I could see silver power waves rolling off a shadow in the shape of a 12 year old girl. I bow.

"Lady Artemis." I say respectfully.

I guess that she nods at me. "Perseus." She says.

"So what are we taking?" I ask.

Someone snorts. "Can't you see, boy?"

I turn towards the sound of the voice. "Do you not see the large white bandages over my eyes." I say flatly. I can tell that the Hunters haven't been told what I did. Good. I don't want pity.

There's a pause. "Shut up, boy."

I shrug, but I can barely keep my smirk in.

"We're taking a van. Let's go." Artemis says. Thalia leads me out the doors, and we wait until the dozen other Hunters get in the van.

We sit, me at the back, carefully away from the girls. "How long will the drive be?" I ask.

"Stupid boy. Asking questions." I hear someone mutters. I ignore it.

Artemis answers, "About 4 hours. Traffic is really bad since the Battle for Manhattan, and my chariot's missing."

I crack a smile as I settle back into my seat. The van starts to move, and there is a steady falling of rain outside.

"Is that what people are calling it now?" I ask. "The Battle for Manhattan?"

There's a pause. "Yes. They're calling you the Hero of Olympus, too." I can tell by her tone that she's testing me. Seeing if I really sacroficed my sight out of the good of my heart.

"I don't really care about any if the titles. I just wish it never happened." I say.

"Why?" One of the girls mocks. "Does the little boy still have nightmares?"

My hands clench. "You have no idea." I growl. I snap my headphones on and listen to some sad, thoughtful dubstep music.

* * *

**Done!**

**How was it? Any suggestions? PM me or review! I love your reviews!**

**Until next time,**

**~UWontKnoXD**


	3. Chapter 3

**HEY GUYS!**

**I'm gonna talk to some people real quick:**

**_Elmlea_: Thanks for catching that! I always end up forgetting something :/**

**_Nouney_: They would, but they don't know yet ;)**

**_Gold Testament_: Cuz it's a work in progress! :) I plan it to be way longer than my other one.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

You'd think that dubstep music makes people go on raves, but not me. The deep bass soothes my head and the dull ache that is always present behind my eyes.

My ADHD starts acting up, as it always does when I'm not doing something like fighting. My leg starts popping up and down, my leg vibrating. I turn down my music, which was starting to make my head hurt.

The trip was taking forever, but it wasn't as bad as most road trips I'd had before. There was always that time when Grover, Annabeth, and I had to travel in the back of a truck with a bunch of zoo animals…

Annabeth. The sound of her name makes my chest contract, my lungs fight for air I involuntarily cough.

I can hear the Hunter to my far left, next to Thalia, shift away.

"Watch it, boy." She growls. I only smirk in response.

I can hear her growl again. "Stop grinning like an idiot. No one cares that you're some stupid 'Savior of Olympus', we all know that you're a stupid boy."

I can hear Thalia murmuring to the other girl, "Look, he's had enough, just lay off . . ."

I can hear the girl's weight shift. "What is it, Thalia?" She sneers. "Getting soft on boys?"

I don't have to see it, I can tell that my friend's ears are turning a bright red.

Thalia hisses, "Shut it, you no good-"

Artemis cuts her off from the driver's seat. "Thalia, all Hunters have the right to speak."

Thalia snorts. "She also has the right to get my foot right up her a-"

"Thalia…" Artemis says warningly.

**(WARNING: RANT/MAN-HATING/SWEARING SCROLL DOWN TO NEXT BOLD SENTENCE TO SKIP)**

The other girl starts talking. "I'll speak. All boys are the same. They're all lazy, stupid, and cold-hearted. Oh sure, you probably have an excuse, since you have a bandage over your eyes, but it can't be as bad as when I had pink-eye! You'd give up all of their friends just so that they can go pleasure yourself with some fucking slut. They have no respect, and they'd have their hands down a girl's skirt if they ever so much as winked at them! Oh, but I've heard of what you've done, O Noble Perseus Jackson. You may have led us into battle, but that's the only thing people seem to care about! And then everyone thinks you're the good guy, since you have a nice girlfriend, _Annabeth. _No one's looked at the dark side of Percy Jackson…"

Artemis seems to know where this is headed. "Phoebe…" She warns the girl, but the girl is ranting now.

"Let's start with when good ol' Thalia stopped being a tree. You disobeyed orders, followed the real quest-takers, and ended up getting Bianca killed. You _told_ her to go on into the giant statue, because you were too cowardly to go in yourself! And when you and your little gang supposedly defeated Atlas single-handedly, you get Zoe fucking killed! Speared by Atlas, my ass! You probably _pushed_ her into it! And now let's flash forward to just several weeks ago, shall we? You and your buddy Charlie went over and tried to blow up Kronos's ship. And guess what happens? You jump overboard, and leave Charlie to get blown up in the explosion. If you hadn't been such a pussy, you could have fucking-"

The anger and anguish from Annabeth's death and my blindness breaks through.

"SHUT UP!" I roar. I jump up from my seat and get in Phoebe's face, who had stood up during her rant.

"You have no IDEA what it's like to not be able to see! The world is dark, and you feel alone. Even when someone is right next to you, you're afraid to trust them. You feel vulnerable and weak, and you have to be helped to do the easiest fucking tasks!" I growl. She opens her mouth to reply, but I've started my rant.

"I tried to stop Bianca from getting in the stupid statue, but she told me that it was her duty! I would have gladly laid down my life for hers, but she insisted. And Zoe . . ." I hesitate. "She knew what was coming. And about Calypso: I had to leave! I left because of my friends and family, not just because of Annabeth! And with Charlie . . ." Tears spring to my eyes. "I tried to help him, but . . ."

Phoebe interrupts. "But you failed. You left him to die."

I push past her and turn to where I think the door is, and kick it open.

"Alright, go and cry to your stupid girlfriend! I'd expect nothing less from-"

"Annabeth is dead." I growl, and I jump out of the van.

Thalia begins to yell at Phoebe, and Artemis tries to scold me.

"Percy, don't speak to my Hunters that way! She doesn't know what you-"

"I don't care." I hiss. "You and your group of mangy girls can just leave me the fuck alone. If they think that they can go and beat up on boys just because, then I'm done. So just tell them to fuck off. And if you had a shred of decency, you'd apologize for them. "

**(RANT/MAN-HATING/SWEARING PART OVER, YOU SENSITIVE PEOPLE AND YOUNG 'UNS CAN READ NOW)**

I storm off along the sidewalk, into the rain. In my mind's eye, red blots of color are in turmoil, wrestling with each other. My fists are clenched and my tears are starting to soak my bandages. I sniff, wiping my nose. I never want to see the stupid Hunters again.

It's not until about 5 minutes of walking that I realize I'm . . . walking. I'm not stubbing my toes on anything, and I'm not bumping into any bystanders in the New York Street. I can hear all the people, shopping and running errands, and yet I'm not crashing into any . . .

I stop walking and sit down, resting my tired legs. I breathe deeply, and start to listen to some more music, hoping that my headphones were waterproof.

In my dark little world, dark shadows walked across my vision. And instead of black, the backdrop was a bit lighter, a mixture of blue and grey. Streaks of lighter blue falls down across everything, resembling rain.

I jump up to my feet. If this is what I think it was, then maybe . . .

As a dark shadow starts to travel across my vision, I reach forward and try to touch it. My hands grasp clothe.

The shadow stops, and it throws off my hand. "Watch it, kid." A voice snarls. The shadow moves on.

I realize that the shadows are people . . . in my mind, I try to figure out what has caused it. It probably had something to do with water, and maybe the lack of water in certain objects.

I stand up, forming an idea, and resolving to figure out my dilemma later. I could see! In a sense, anyway. It was still very disorienting, and the shadows seemed a second later than their real counterparts. It would take a lot of getting used to.

I pull out Riptide from my jean pocket and take the cap off it. To my surprise, the blade is glowing a bright blue.

Someone bumps into my shoulder. A girl's voice says, "Hey watch i- Why do you have a sword?" She asks in disbelief

I quickly back up, saying, "Sorry, sorry. I'll get out of the way . . .wait . . .this . . . isn't a sword . . . this is just a pen . . ." I recap the sword quickly.

THe girl's shadow does not move. As I look it over, I realize that she is almost as tall as me, about 3 or 4 inches shorter. It looked like she longish, frizzy hair . . .

"Rachel?" I say.

"Percy?" She gasps.

We embrace each other.

"Where have you been? What happened with the battle? I saw that you were in trouble in a weird vision, and what's wrong with you eyes?"

I grin. Her fast-paced questions were something that Rachel would probably never give up.

"I'll explain to you soon. We can talk in a Starbucks somewhere. But when is the soonest time you can go to Nashville, Tennessee?"

* * *

**Yes, I know, short chapter, but I plan to make a long one next, and it may come out today, since I've recently karate kicked my writer's block and am now on a roll!**

**I added Rachel in because she plays a large part in the story, and there is a very large possibility that she could be paired up with Percy eventually.**

**JUST SAYING: HADES LIFTED THE ORACLE CURSE, SO RACHEL NEVER BECAME THE ORACLE, AND THE ORACLE NOW LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN**

**Rachel, obviously, can still see through the Mist.**

**Have a good one,**

**~UWontKnoXD**


	4. Chapter 4

**HELLO. Here's a note to:**

_**devilchild1000: **_**Is this what you mean by soon? :)**

**Yeah. Nothing to else say, soooooooo let's go!**

* * *

**Rachel's PoV (this will be used kind of often)**

I've never had coffee with Percy. Probably for a reason: giving a kid with ADHD coffee is like giving a squirrel a can of RedBull in the spring. As we sat and sipped our hot mochas, we simply enjoyed each other's presence. This was probably one of the first times I'd had a coffee with a friend.

I broke the silence. "So," I said. "Tell me everything."

He started with when he'd left me on the hood of the car. We both smiled warmly about that, and he continued my story all the way up to the fight with Kronos.

As he told me about how Annabeth had died, he choked up a little bit, and I squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry." I said sincerely. I knew that Annabeth was a little jealous of me, since she thought I was trying to steal Percy. Which was somewhat true and somewhat not true. I did have a crush on Percy, but I'd held back because I didn't want to steal him from Annabeth. I didn't want to cause any demigods any more trouble than needed.

"Yeah, well. Shit happens. You just have to flush the toilet, you know?" He said, cracking a smile. I laughed.

"That's why I want to go to Tennessee. She always wanted to visit the Parthenon, and I thought that maybe the fake one would be enough. To honor her memory. I also want to figure out how I can still kind of see with my eyes like this. I can see shadows and faint shapes." He said.

I thought about it. "That'll work out, since they have a Panda Endangerment Parade over in Memphis in a couple days. I can take you with. Anyway, why do you have a bandage over your eyes?"

He smiled. "That'd be great. Thanks." And then he told me about how he'd given his sight so that Thalia would see. I listened, opened mouthed.

"Why would you do that?" I asked in disbelief.

"I guess it was the right thing to do. And she's like a sister to me."

I'd never met Thalia before, but from what I'd heard, she seemed like a very fierce person.

"Also, her whole life is based around the Hunt. If she couldn't see, she'd be kicked out. She said that she'd never really fit in at Camp Half-Blood." He says.

I stare at him in a new light. He was an amazing person . . .

"And . . . with Annabeth dead . . . I thought that Thalia probably had more to live for than me." He said, somewhat miserably.

At that moment, I made up my mind. I would give his life new meaning. I tossed my empty mocha in the trash and grabbed his hand.

"Let's go, Perce." I say. "Time to catch a ride to Nashville."

* * *

**Percy's PoV**

"Ow." I grumble, stubbing my toe on the curb again. I missed the grass of Half-Blood Hill, and the sand of the beach. Yes, I was used to living in Manhattan, but in Nashville, I was unfamiliar with where everything was. I swear that the curbs are at least three times the height as New York's.

Rachel stifles her giggle. I smile and lean on her with all my weight. She lets out a mangled shriek and we fall into the soft grass next to the sidewalk, her on top of me.

I laugh, and she scolds me, "Don't do that, Perce! You gave me a mini heart attack."

I just smile. A warm feeling blossoms in my chest. I hadn't felt this way in . . . a long time.

After a moment, we forget that she's straddling me. A kind old man reminds us.

"Get a room, lovebirds."

I blush, and I can guess that Rachel does too. We scramble up, and I watch the old man's silhouette walk away. There was something familiar about his voice, and his shadow had a slight golden aura around it.

"So how close is the Parthenon?" I ask.

"It's just down the street." Rachel replies.

We walk for a few minutes, just talking and laughing. I hadn't done anything like this since Annabeth and I had . . .

No. I wouldn't finish that sentence.

When we reach the Parthenon, Rachel helps me go inside. There is, strangely, almost no one there. I knelt on one knee in front of the statue of Athena, and I murmured,

"Athena, I'm sorry about Annabeth. I wasn't able to save her, and I feel terrible about that. Forgive me, please?"

I wait for a few minutes, just thinking. Then I turn to leave. As I do, a warm wind gushes over me, and I hear someone whisper, "Perseus Jackson, you truly loved my daughter, and I feel the need to tell you that she loved you back. You tried to give your life to her, and you gave all the minor gods the respect they needed. Here is your gifts, from me and Aphrodite. She recognized true love."

I am covered in golden light. Rachel screams in the background, and I black out.

* * *

When I wake, I sense a figure's face several inches above me. The shadow had frizzy hair, so I could only guess it was Rachel.

"'Sup." I say.

She grabs my shoulders and lifts me up.

"Oh my God, I thought you were dead! You just started glowing, and you collapsed, and you look hot, and-" She freezes, realizing what she said. I pretend like I didn't hear it.

"What happened when I glowed?" I ask.

"Something dropped from the statue," She said. "I think it's for you."

She hands something like a stick to me, and I run my hands over it. It feels like a two-inch diameter stick.

"Sweet." I say. "I'll be a true caveman."

She laughs.

I stand up and swish it around. It reminds me of the time when I volunteered at an elderly home.

"It's a walking stick." I realize. I pat the ground in front of me. I feel the vibrations go through the stick and through my arm, letting me map the ground in front of me perfectly. "A magical helper stick!" I declared.

Rachel laughs again. "Percy has a magical stick?" She makes choking noises.

I laugh, too. "Not that way." I say. "But where am I gonna keep it?" As if on cue, I feel something strap on my back.

"What is it?" I say, struggling to touch my back.

"It looks like a scabbard." She says.

"What do you think it looks like to a mortal?" I ask. She thinks about it.

"Let me check." She grabs my hand and we run outside. I tap the stick in front of me lightly, and all the vibrations from everyone's feet let me map with amazing detail what is in front of me.

She pokes a random little girl and says, "Hey, kid, do you like my friends' . . . ummm . . ."

"His backpack?" The girl offers.

"Yeah!" Rachel says triumphantly.

"Yes. It looks pretty!" The girl says happily. She skips off.

"Pretty? I don't want it pretty." I grumble.

Rachel laughs again.

"Is anything different about me?" I ask, wondering about Aphrodite's gift, and hoping it didn't screw up my facial features.

Rachel eyes me. "No . . . not really." She says.

I shrug. We'll figure it out later.

"And now, we go to University of Memphis. There is a certain God that I'd like to speak to."

"Which one?" Rachel asks.

"One that likes baboons." I reply.

* * *

"Shit. Get down." I hiss to Rachel. We both duck down behind a hedge near a basketball court. A girl and a boy walk out, talking. There was a powerful aura around their shadows, but seemed more . . . dry? Or sandy?

They left, and we slip inside the large university.

"Why'd we hide?" Rachel asks.

"We can't meddle with those kids, or their world." I say.

"Who were they?"

"Some people I met a little while ago."

"Why do you mean, their world?"

"They have different views. Different gods."

Rachel is confused. "There are different gods? I thought-"

"Hush. We aren't supposed to discuss it. Forget you ever knew about it, ok?"

Without waiting for an answer, I start heading through the hallways. Rachel quickly comes up next to me and falls in line.

"Look for a door that says, 'Thoth'," I say. I can't read words with my limited sight. She nods.

We continue down the hallway when she stops. "Here." She says.

I head in.

"Eh . . . hello?"

A shadow comes into my vision, and it is outlined with a powerful sandy aura. "Thoth?" I say cautiously.

The shadow looks up. "Eh? Who are you?"

"Percy Jackson and Rachel Dare." I say. "I need to ask you something."

He breathed deeply. "Greeks?" He whispers. He suddenly disappears, and two other people flash in. I recognize them as Hermes and Athena.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" Hermes says. I'm confused.

"Where's Thoth?" I ask.

Hermes' shadow's eyes narrow a bit. "Where's who?" He asks, obviously playing the clueless game. I sigh.

"Nevermind. Athena, I have a question." I say. Athena steps forward.

"If it's about the gifts, I can't say any more-"

"It's not about that." I say. "I just want to know why I can still see shadows and blobs and water and my sword if I'm blind."

She frowns and sits down. Rachel leads me to a chair and I sit also.

"You can see water and your sword more clearly than the shadows?" She asks. I nod.

"I think that you can sense the water molecules. All the shadows are people, where you can't sense the water, since their living. And since the air has a little water in it, you see a faint blue-gray haze, yes?"

I nod again.

"So basically, objects and people and animals are blocking your vision of the water molecules behind them, thus enabling you to see them as shadows. You can see your sword because it's spent so much time around you - son of the Barnacle Brain."

Now I understand. "Thanks, Athena. And Hermes."

They nod. As I turn to leave with Rachel, Athena asks, "Why is there a mortal with you?"

"She can see through the Mist, and she's helping me get around. I have to spend some time away from other demigods." I say.

Athena nods. "Good luck on whatever you do, Perseus." She flashes out.

Hermes agrees and says, "Have fun, lovebirds." He flashes out, and he leaves us blushing.

I felt a strange satisfaction, though, that neither of us denied it.

* * *

**THERE WE GO! ALMOST 2,000 WORDS!**

**2 Chapters in one day! I have no life . . .**

**Tell me what you thought of the chapter! Obviously, I'm leaning towards Percy being with Rachel, but leave your suggestions! I need to know!**

**See you later!**

**~UWontKnoXD**


	5. Chapter 5

**'Sup. Lemme talk to mah peeps here:**

**_Gold Testament_: I don't think it'll Thalia, or any goddess, and I most definitely won't be doing Poseidon/Athena. _Je n'aime pas l'Athéna et Poséidon appariement. Il n'a pas de sens._ I'm really leaning towards Rachel, though.**

**_Toaneo07 Ver2.0_: Thalia's not that much of a b*tch. She'll make up for it eventually.**

**_Z Hero_: Me too. :)**

**So do you want Rachel, Calypso, or anyone else? Suggest it in the reviews!**

**LET'S GO!**

* * *

**Rachel's PoV**

As we leave the University, Percy asks, "So, when is the Panda thingy?"

I smile. "A little later today. We're all going to march and stuff. It should be fun."

"Sounds like it." Percy responds.

We walk in a companionable silence towards our hotel until Percy says something that makes my jaw drop.

"I think I want to go to highschool." He says.

I pretend to choke. "Percy Jackson _wants_ to _learn_?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, man. I have quite a reputation there!"

I stare at him. "You blew up half the school!"

He flips his hair. "All in a day's work."

I laugh.

"But seriously. I could go to Goode, and you could come along too, if you want." He says.

I stare at him. "Are you serious?"

He nods. "Yeah. I've realized that there's a world out there that I know little about. And I kind of want to be a marine biologist."

I stare at him still, in disbelief.

He rolls his eyes. "Stop staring and let's go." He sighs.

* * *

**4 Hours Later**

The sun had gone down, and the crisp night air stung my lungs a bit as we walked back to our hotel.

"Jeez, it's cold." I said, shivering.

"Here." Percy wraps his coat around me, leaving his arm around my shoulders. I shivered again, but not from the cold.

"T-Thanks." I say. I smile again when I see Percy. In the parade, I had persuaded him to get his face painted for the occasion. As a result, his face was black and white, resembling a panda's.

"We're almost there. Just a few more blocks." He says.

We walk in silence for a while.

"So, when do you want to start school?" I ask.

He rolls his eyes. "In the beginning of the school year. Duh."

I roll my eyes. "Shut up. Seriously."

"I heard that school starts sometime in September, so I have a month." He says.

"What do you want to do until then?"

"I'll probably go to Camp Half-Blood. Maybe go to Alaska for a few days to kill some monsters." He looks at me. "What about you?"

She shrugs. "I don't know . . . my dad doesn't really care, though."

Percy nods understandingly. "You can come along . . . if you want."

I gaped at him. "But I'm not trained, or fast, or good at fighting!"

Percy sighs. "A simple 'no' would have been nice."

I quickly say, "No, really, I want to go. Can I?"

Percy thinks about it. "I could train you at Camp Half-Blood for a week or two, maybe that'd be enough."

I mentally fist-pump. A whole month with Percy!

We reach our hotel. As we ride the elevator, I show him one key card. Not that he can see it . . .

"Sorry." I mumble, extremely embarrassed. "I expected this to be a trip for just me."

Percy nods. "Of course. I'll sleep on the floor."

It still amazes me how Percy can be so noble.

"We'll see." I reply.

We scan the card and walk in. It's a small, modern, cozy hotel, with a semi-large plasma TV. A queen bed rests in the middle of the room.

Percy uses his walking stick to make it to a huge, comfy chair near a desk.

"Ahhh." He sighs contentedly. "This is nice."

I turn off the lights and I agree. I yawn, and stretch. "I'll be getting to bed." I say.

He nods absently, staring off into the low Memphis skyline. It's beautiful in the night; the red, yellow, and blue colors cast colored shadows across the floor. It's amazing, and I realize how terrible it must be to not be able to see it.

"I think I'll be up a while." He says softly, fingering a necklace that I didn't know he had. It was in the shape of a small silver acoustic guitar. "You can take the bed. I'll probably fall asleep in this chair." He adds.

I don't bother to argue. I jump in bed, not bothering to change my clothes. As I drift to sleep, I can hear Percy humming a low song that sounds familiar. Either way, it helps me drift of to sleep.

* * *

**2 Hours Later**

That night, I slept like a demigod. That is, to say, I slept with vivid dreams.

My dreams and, occasionally, visions, had always been particularly graphic and seemed to depict something that was happening or going to happen.

This one was one of my most disturbing.

_In it, a short, skinny blonde-haired kid marches across a stretch of sand. Hundreds of kids, dressed in battle armor, are behind him. They march in unison, never faltering. Something told me that they weren't Greek._

_That stretch of sand looks very familiar. Then, my view-point shifted. I was suddenly facing the direction the kids were facing. In front of them, Camp Half-Blood was in flames. Campers were screaming and running, and Chiron was lying, dead, in front of the Big House._

_What scared me most wasn't the burning or the campers dying: my view-point shifted again, facing the attacking army, and I saw Percy among its ranks, without a bandage over his eyes. They were pale blue eyes, filled with hate towards the campers he'd grown up with. With a start, Percy stares directly at me with his murderous gaze._

I woke up screaming. My eyes never open, I just sit up and scream. I hear Percy rush to my aid and wrap me in a hug.

"Shhh, shhh, it's just a dream, just a dream. You were dreaming."

"You-you were there, and you - burning -"

"It's all right," He murmurs. "Just go back to sleep."

My breathing gradually slows, and I lean back on the bed, opening my left eye just a bit. Percy is sitting near my head, leaning against the back of the bed. He blows on his necklace, and it slowly morphs into an acoustic guitar.

"I didn't know you played guitar." I whisper, most bad memories of the dream forgotten.

"Apollo helped me out a bit." He says soothingly. The thrums a few experimental chords, and they hum and fill the room with a thick peace.

He starts playing one of my favorite songs, Clocks, by Coldplay. My eyes begin to feel like they're filled with sand, but I stay awake, hoping there was more.

Percy lowly starts chanting,

_"The lights go out and I can't be saved_  
_Tides that I tried to swim against_  
_Have brought me down upon my knees_  
_Oh I beg, I beg and plead singing_

_Come out of things unsaid_  
_Shoot an apple off my head_  
_And a trouble that can't be named_  
_A tiger's waiting to be tamed singing._

_You, are._

_You, are."_

My mind numbs, and I fall asleep hoping that Percy would sing all night.

* * *

**BOOM. What a gentle chapter. That was weird. I haven't put a song in my story since Percy Jackson, Abused and Betrayed.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! A hint of the Romans for you, just to give you a teaser!**

**STILL SUGGEST WHO YOU WANT PERCY TO BE WITH! I am currently open to:**

**Calypso**

**Clarisse**

**Rachel**

**Yes, I know what you're thinking. Clarisse? What? She's a b*tch, blah!**

**Well since girls will be all over Percy when he goes back to Camp, maybe he'll want someone who'll just want him for who he is, not what he's done or said. And Clarisse has become less of a b*tch!**

**So suggest please!**

**P.S. My writing schedule is this: An Eye for an Eye, and then Aegis. Eye for an Eye, then Aegis, etc., etc.**

**BTW, if you like Coldplay, you are my family forever 3**

**C U LTR!**

**~UWontKnoXD**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm back! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! GET FAT ON TURKEY AND STUFFING AND PIE AND . . . crap now I'm hungry . . .**

**You guys are saying you want Clarisse to be with Percy . . . her or Rachel, guys? Tell me!**

**I NEED TO TELL YOU GUYS SOMETHING:**

**There is a new writer on Fanfiction called '_Grav3yardG1rl_', and I see a lot of potential in her!**

**At the moment, she is only writing one story, but she plans to do more!**

**She may seem a little frayed around the edges at the moment, but by the time we're finished, she'll have improved immensely.**

**PLEASE go check her out, because we are currently in production of a collabaration story! I won't give any spoilers, but it has to do with Nico and Percy being brothers, and we plan it to be very good.**

**The first chapter will be posted on her profile, sometime next month, so please be supportive!**

**Go check her oouuuuttt!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO. Obviously.**

* * *

**3rd Person PoV**

Waking up, Rachel was disappointed, despite the warm sun streaming in through the windows. Percy wasn't there.

Rachel groans and sits up. Despite the nightmare previous to Percy's song, Rachel had had the best sleep of her life, without being plagued with strange visions.

As she gets ready, she hopes Percy is alright; he is blind, after all. But she immediately discards the idea of Percy being vulnerable.

"He can still see - kind of." She thought to herself. "He wouldn't leave on purpose unless he knew he'd be okay."

She couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

Percy thrashed around a bit. Nothing helped. His world was darkness, and not the usual darkness. It was more of a smothering blackness, and it was hard to breath, almost as though his head was in a bag. Which was, if not exactly, nearly the truth.

He could tell he was in a vehicle, from the bumps and jumps that bounced him in his seat. He could also tell that whatever vehicle he was in was crowded, since he could feel a slight tension in the atmosphere around his body.

"Where am I?" He asked clearly, through the bag that was on his head.

The bag is whipped off, which made little difference to Percy, which he said verbally, "That makes absolutely no difference. I'm freaking blind." Which was a little lie, of course. He could visualize most of the shapes around him now, which were revealed to be the Hunters and Artemis again.

Percy's expression darkened. "Ah. Hello."

Artemis's face contorted with a strange mix of anger and sympathy, like she was trying to be mad at him, but something was holding her back.

"Perseus Jackson." Artemis said. "You're here so we can discuss the behavior that was shone in the ride to Camp Half-Blood."

Percy groaned. "Don't start feeling sorry for me. Keep up your mean, stern, independent woman façade."

Artemis's expression turned more to anger now. "This is not a façade. This is my real face."

Percy grinned, and Artemis scowled at what she was tricked to say.

"Perseus, I'd like you to apologize for the way you spoke to my Hunters."

Percy gaped at her. Thalia, in the back of the bus (who had insisted that they shouldn't kidnap Percy), tried to protest, but Percy got to it first.

"_Me_? Apologize to the people who offended me? _You_?" Percy repeated in disbelief.

Artemis nods gravely. "You swore at me and my Hunters, and you must apologize."

Percy's face reddens.

"I think that _Phoebe_ should apologize to _me_." He growls. Phoebe goes to protest and so does Artemis.

"You still haven't told her yet, have you?" Percy asks. Artemis hesitates.

Phoebe gets up and goes next to her Lady. "Told me _what_, boy?"

Artemis quickly says, "Nothing, its nothing at all."

Percy glares at her. "Artemis, I did you a favor several years ago, and this is the way you pay me back?"

Artemis pales a bit, but her expression clears. She knows what he's referring to, but Phoebe doesn't. None of the Hunters do.

"Holy shit. You haven't told them that either, have you?" Percy murmurs.

Artemis maintains a pale, stony expression.

"If you won't, I'll tell them." Thalia snarls, standing up.

Percy looks at her suspiciously. "Why dudn't you before?"

Thalia glares at Artemis. "She wouldn't let me." Artemis remains unmoved.

"Several years ago, on the quest where we fought Atlas, Percy saved, possibly, Artemis's _life_ by holding up the _sky_ for her."

The Hunters gasp audibly.

"What happened even more recently is that our friend, Annabeth, the '_slut_'," She said, quoting Phoebe's words, "_died_, killed by Kronos. Percy then took a sword to his gut in order to kill the Titan, and succeeded. Once the Titan was killed, Percy was saved by Ethan Nakumara, who gave up his life for him, in order to keep the balance of justice. In that battle, I lost my sight to a batch of Greek fire. When Percy was healed, there was a council meeting, in which Artemis," she threw a glare at her, "was going to throw me out of the Hunt." Most of the Hunters were glaring at their Mistress now. "But after she had decided, Percy made his wish. He wished for equality among the minor gods, for Hestia and Hades to get thrones and cabins, and he gave up his sight for me. Which is why he's blind." Thalia finished.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Phoebe whispered in disbelief.

"I - I didn't want you thinking any more of men than what I taught you." Artemis confessed. "I didn't want you to think that there were some men that were good and true of heart, otherwise some of you may leave the Hunt, and I love you all too much for that." Artemis said tearfully. The Hunters began to soften.

Phoebe tried to console me. "Percy, I'm sorry, we didn't kn -"

"It doesn't matter anymore." Percy said shortly.

"But -"

"Just take me to Olympus real quick, and you won't have to be plagued with the ugly, greedy face of a boy again."

Phoebe shut up with a tear trickling down her cheek. Percy scooted to a corner and slammed on his headphones. Artemis dutifully took the wheel of the van and began to drive to Manhattan.

* * *

**Done!**

**Again, please check out 'Grav3yardg1rl'! She's going to be big!**

**Also, I want to wish EVERYBODY a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Eat as much stuffing as you want!**

**The next chapter for Aegis will be up by tomorrow!**

**C ya!**

**~UWontKnoXD**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi!**

**It's been a while!**

**Sorry for the short chapter, at school we have a lot of stuff to catch up on because of Thanksgiving break.**

**ALSO, please check out my newer story, 'The Roman Barbarian'. It needs more attention, since I've worked really hard on it.**

**Disclaimer in previous Chapters. **

**Let's begin!**

* * *

The minute the bus stops, Percy leaps out and walks to the skyscraper. It was late evening, and the New York streets were bustling with nightlife. Percy wishes ruefully that he'd be able to see if he wasn't so noble.

_But then Thalia would be out of the Hunt, and I'd never have seen Rachel for a long time,_ Percy reasoned as he stepped into the Lobby. He touches the bandages around his face philosophically. But he knew he would never have let his friend down. He only wishes that the Hunters had seen that earlier, before the fight.

He walks up to the desk, with a large man behind it. He looks down upon the blind boy, who was taking his large headphones off.

"What's with the bandages, kid? You need help?" He said gruffly, clearly signifying that he intended to give no help.

"I'm going to the 600th floor." Percy said, ignoring the ignorant man's question.

The man laughed. "Don't play with me kid, there's no –"

Percy cuts him off. "Don't fuck with me right now. I'm going to the 600th floor since I have to ask Zeus a favor, so give me the fucking key, unless you want to drown on the water droplets in the air."

The man was about to protest when the water in a fountain near him exploded upwards, showering some mortals. The air began to get thicker, and fog started to creep in through the double glass doors.

The man quickly handed Percy the key, and Percy snatched it and strode into the elevator. As he walked in, he heard Artemis at the elevator guy, saying something about being a goddess, the Hunters waited idly behind their Mistress.

Percy waited impatiently, listening to 'Perfect Day' by Lou Reed in his headphones. The song seemed to calm his hyperactive nerves, even more than the deep dubstep.

The elevator doors opened, revealing a massive mountain with beautiful Greek fires, littered up the stone path to the Olympus throne room. Percy wished even more ruefully that he could see.

He walks up the path, flipping up his hood, and trying to ignore the naiads that came from the river to see him. He kept walking, his headset jammed on, hands in the pockets of his black hoodie, hoping that the water spirits wouldn't recognize him.

About halfway, he tripped and fell. He quickly ducked his head down and shoulder-rolled, remembering what he had practiced for days on end at Camp, with – someone he wanted to forget. Although he had correct form, a slightly uplifted stone in front of him banged his knee sharply. His hood flew

He growls and turns around to see (a figure of speech, he could see the figure in his mind very clearly due to the water naiads being almost made of water) a pretty river naiad, with her foot outstretched. Her bluish hair rolled down her back like ocean waves, and her small mouth was twisted into a cocky smirk.

Only now did she see the young man's face and bandage, and only now did she feel that she was in the prescence of the Son of the Sea God. Her face now dropped the smirk, displaying now a look of pure horror. She spoke quickly, in gurgling sounds, but Percy could hear the message in his mind:

'I'm sorry, Lord, I didn't know it was you,'

Percy ignored her, turned around, and walked on, despite the apologies being sent his way.

By the time he reached the Throne room, one would have been panting and sweaty, but the conditioning and constant work out that he had experienced at Camp wasn't in vain. He hadn't broken out in a single drop of sweat, and even if he did, the seat would have disappeared, since he couldn't get wet.

He walks up to sense 11 Olympians, one of them missing. Thorugh his mid's eye, he could see the waves of power rolling off the 10-foot tall figures.

The absent Goddess appeared behind Percy, walking quickly past him and plopping in her seat. Percy glared at her, and she stared guiltily back.

"What's with the anger at my sister, Perce?" Apollo said nervously. Zeus had long since abandoned having Percy kneel in front of the gods. He'd earned their respect.

Percy stares at her more. "She'll explain after I've gone. But that is not the point of my visit. I have another favor to ask of you."

Zeus watched him sadly. "Perseus, we cannot heal –"

Percy shook his head. "Oh, not about that. I've accepted my fate, and have found a way to get around on my own. Athena and Hermes can tell you about that after this, too. I'd just like to ask that Calypso be freed from Ogygia."

Zeus stared at him in disbelief. "Why? She is a daughter of Atlas! We couldn't trust her with –"

"Oh, be quiet." Percy scolded. "Zoe Nightshade was a daughter of Atlas, and she gave up her life to save the Quest. Chiron is a son of Kronos, and I don't see him betraying us at all. All of you are sons of Kronos, how can I trust you?"

Poseidon was next. "Percy, she was on their side in the first war, she –"

"Did she fight? No. Did she side with them? Yes. She sided with them because they were family. Which is what I do now."

Zeus eyed Percy nervously. "What are you saying?"

"I'm just saying that I've been wondering why I'm fighting on your side at all. Most of you are corrupt, only helping the mortal world to find mortal pleasures, you kill anyone who you think could be a threat to your power, and you take your kids for granted. This reminds me of a certain Titan I happen to know . . ."

Zeus stood up. "You dare –"

"Fuck yeah. This second war wouldn't have started at all if you had paid attention to your children. In fact, after the Battle, I've taken down some names of unclaimed demigods. There are literally hundreds. Anyway, back to my original point of getting Calypso freed. If you question her loyalty, you might as well question mine too. I've realized that the only reason I'm on your side is because you're my family. Actually, not even for that! It was mostly because all of my friends were part of the Greek world. If I could, I'd leave all this behind for a normal life, with normal friends, a normal high school, normal _parents_." Percy stressed. "Calypso was doing the same thing as me, fighting for her family because she was obligated to."

The gods are speechless. Zeus plops back on his throne, thinking deeply.

"We shall grant your request, Perseus. But do not dare question our own motives, because it is what's best for the mortal world."

Percy snorts. "Apparently." He turns and starts to leave. "You can drop her off at Camp. I plan to visit there before my trip. Don't expect to see me for a couple years."

Now the gods watched Artemis closely, waiting for her to explain the harsh glare sent to her by their blind savior.

* * *

**Tell me whom you want Percy to be paired with!**

**Remember to check out The Roman Barbarian'!**

**Peace out!**

**~UWontKnoXD**


	8. Author's Note

If you read Aegis too, you probably know what this is about.

First off, hello! my faithful readers. I have bumped into a huge case of writer's block that is affecting all of my PJO stories. Truthfully, I have been trying to put together a chapter for ages, but I can't connect the pieces.

Thus, I have created a questionnaire for you guys to fill out.

1) I've played with the idea of Percy going to a Karate/Kung-Fu master and learning to focus his 'chi', where he can learn to fight with his blindness. You guys have any ideas where he will go?

2) I ask you every chapter, and I'm still going to: who should Percy be paired with? I really love the idea of Rachel and him, but many of you want Clarisse. If you want Clarisse, come up with some legitimate reasons! Same with the other questions I have.

3) How long do you want this story to carry on? I don't want it to feel rushed or stretched.

Please fill it out in your reviews!

Although you guys don't know it, these stories are merely practice! I'm building my writing skills up to the point of which I can make a long (at least 50k words) saga of excellent writing. I am doing the same with Harry Potter fan fictions. If you've seen the haters that I sometimes get, you'd understand that they'd have a legitimate reason for their hating. They have noticed the rushed feeling of the stories, and the somewhat cliche storyline.

Help out please!

~UWontKnoXD


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